The Barista Effect

I sit in a noisy café, sipping fresh, black coffee, eating a cream-filled pastry, writing in my iPhone. My brain with its broken neurons pines for peace. But my soul needs the treat; it yearns for the semblance of normal life. My brain will recover from this taxing moment. I’m going to be tired by the time I get home regardless of where I go, anyway.

They say that these little kinds of social connections, the brief encounter with your favourite store cashier, the discussion of what coffee to drink with the barista who knows you, the fast-disappearing engagement with your bus driver, alleviate loneliness. It isn’t only the big social gatherings that prevent loneliness, the raucous birthday parties, the endless Christmas feasting, the faux-happiness of New Year’s Eve. In fact, I would say that the big social gatherings in the absence of regular phone calls, text chats, coffee dates, email hellos, FaceTime moments, only accentuate your downward change in social status, the loss of normal relationships, and the intense isolation that brain injury brings.

At the end of a very bad year, several years ago, I turned my back on the fiction of big social gatherings and of scrimping for future normalcy and turned my face towards spending on the present to gain these many small moments of smiles and hellos with strangers who had become known to me and me to them. Even though they didn’t know my name.

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Sponsors for Needed Phoebe’s Pageant Fund

Phoebe was invited and attended an open call for National American Miss on May 18th. After being interview by the committee she was chosen as one of New Jersey's state finalist. Our next step for Phoebe to proceed is attaining sponsors. As we all know times are tough however, she would appreciate any amount you would be able to contribute. Phoebe is very excited to represent her state in August. The pageant goals are for her to gain poise and self-confidence, practice speaking in front of a live audience, and become actively involved in her community. All donations are tax deductible for businesses as an advertising expense. All sponsors will be listed in the state year book. Thank you for your time whether you chose to sponsor or not. The Armstead Family Help spread the word!